Take Us Back - Clouis OneShot
by GoofyGomez
Summary: While on the road, Clem, AJ, and Louis run into a familiar face, who invited them over for dinner. Rated T for strong language and depiction of violence.


"I'm hungry."

AJ's plea broke through Clem's thoughts as she turned around and offered the boy a sad smile. They had been walking for hours with no real destination in mind, and their supplies were running low.

"I'll see if we have anything left, goofball," she promised, kneeling on the spot and digging through her backpack. She found two energy bars and half an apple; barely enough for a single meal. Pursing her lips, she took one of the bars and handed it to AJ. "Here you go, kiddo."

They boy took the morsel jealously, slowly ripping the wrapper off and taking a sizeable bite out of it. Clem and Louis shared a worried look, and kept walking as soon as AJ finished his treat. A few minutes down the road, they came by a sign that read 'Gas Stop – 2 miles' and Louis sighed in relief.

"We might have actually caught a break," he exclaimed, looking back at Clem.

"I don't know, let's see if it actually has anything before patting our own backs," she warned, looking down the road. She could see no other way they could go, so they set forth toward the gas stop.

About thirty minutes later, Louis spotted a tall metal structure that stood at about thirty feet. At the top was a sign: "Sunoco Gas Station," AJ read, careful to pronounce his Ts correctly.

"Hey, that's much better, little dude," Louis encouraged him, ruffling his hair.

"We better check it out," Clem cut in, sparing a fleeting smile for AJ. They almost ran the rest of the way, exhausted but excited for a new find. When they got there, Clem and Louis inspected the surroundings. The gas station itself had four pumps and they could see four cars scattered around the perimeter, two of which had their wheels removed.

Clem's eyes travelled over the lot and landed on a rather dilapidated structure, which used to be a store. She instructed Louis to search the inside with AJ while she checked the cars. They both nodded and high fived, excited about doing something together. Clem rolled her eyes and smiled, turning to the closest car.

It was a grey Sedan, its trunk half open and two of its windows shattered. Other than that it was in pretty good shape, Clem thought. She removed the cap from the tank and sniffed the inside. Empty. Frowning, she approached the front of the car and popped the hood, examining the engine. Everything looked in acceptable condition, but there was one small problem. The battery had been stripped clean off.

"Damn it," she swore, slamming the hood. Clem turned to the other car, parked next to one of the pumps: a blue Sentra. She used her knife to force the cap of the tank open, and beamed when she smelled fuel. Closing it, she rushed to the hood and opened it gingerly, eyeing the battery. It was intact!

"Things are looking up," she said under her breath. "Louis! AJ! Come here!" she called, opening the front door. The boys rushed outside, ready for battle. Instead they found Clementine sitting at the driver's seat, searching the inside for a key.

"Find anything?" Louis piped in, leaning against the hood of the car.

"This car has some fuel in it, and a half decent battery," she informed them, "Now we just need the keys and we're golden."

"Score!" Louis cheered, opening the passenger door and joining the search. Though they looked everywhere, they could not find the key anywhere.

"Fuck," she cursed, wiping a curl from her face.

"Fuck is right," she heard AJ say, a smile tugging at her lips.

Louis inspected the dash, and then had an idea. He got out and ran toward the store, leaving a confused Clem and AJ in his wake. When he returned, he was holding something out for Clem.

"Here, I saw these and maybe they can be help," he said, showing her a pair of wire cutters.

"Louis, you're a genius," she exclaimed, taking them from his hand and bending down. She used her knife to open the lid beneath the steering wheel, and three cables hung loosely from inside. She used the wire cutter to snip them all in half, peeling the tips of some.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" Louis inquired, watching her connect the cables in some weird pattern.

"A friend of mine showed me a while back," she said simply, twisting two cables together and almost jumping back when the lights lit up on the dash. "Alright, you guys should go back to the store and see if you didn't miss anything. I'll get the car running so we can make some distance."

Nodding, the two of them went back inside, talking animatedly about something Clem couldn't make out. She bent forward once more and connected the ignition cables by the tip, sighing with relief when she heard the engine rev. She tried once more, but got nothing. At the third try, the distinctive sound of the engine coming to life announced itself.

"Bingo!" she exclaimed, getting out of the car to call for Louis and AJ. Before she could, however, she heard a gun clicking behind her. Swearing under her breath, she raised her hands.

"I'm gonna be needing that car," a gruff voice said. It was a familiar voice, she realized. _Could it be?_

"We found this, we keep it," she shot back, much too harshly.

"Yeah, but who's holding the gun?" the man replied, pressing the barrel against the back of her head.

Sighing, Clem closed her eyes and made to grab her knife. Before she could move a muscle, she heard AJ's voice, commanding as ever. "Put down the gun!" he ordered the man. From the corner of her eye, Clementine could see Louis standing beside AJ, who was holding his revolver firmly in both hands.

"Alright, little man, there's no need for trouble here." There was something oddly familiar about that voice, Clementine thought, but she couldn't place it. "How about you put down yours?"

"Step away from Clementine first," Louis demanded, heaving 'Chairles' so the stranger could see it.

"Cl – Clementine?" the man answered, surprise clear in his voice. "Is that you?" she heard the question was directed at her, so she turned. In front of her stood Javier Garcia, wearing his worn down baseball t-shirt and a leather jacket over it.

"Javi!" she exclaimed, launching herself at him and embracing him in a hug. It had been four years since she'd seen him, she realized then. She closed her eyes, enjoying the moment while Louis and AJ looked on in confusion.

"Mind introducing us?" Louis suggested from beside her.

"Oh right, sorry," she said, breaking off the hug. "Javi, these are Louis and AJ. Guys, this is Javier Garcia."

"Hey there," Javi said, raising his hand. He turned his attention to the six year old and kneeled, "I see you got AJ back, I'm glad."

"Yeah, found him not long after I left Richmond," she informed the man, who nodded while AJ raised his eyebrows.

"Clem, who is this man?" he asked innocently, eyeing Javi up and down.

"He's an old friend. I met him right after The New Frontier took you, and he helped me track you down," she explained to the boy, placing a grateful hand on Javi's shoulder.

"Oh, right," AJ said, "Thanks for helping Clem," he told the man, nodding.

"And who might this be?" inquired Javi turning to Louis, who lowered 'Chairles'.

"Name's Louis, pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said with a grin.

"He's my boyfriend," Clem explained to Javi, who raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing. Clementine turned to the man and sat back down on the driver seat of the car. "So how have you been?"

Javi leaned on the side of the car and sighed. "Tired, mostly," he admitted, "Running Richmond's no easy task. And after Joan, I couldn't go back to their ways."

"That's very honorable, Javi," she complimented with a smile, "How's Gabe?" she asked suddenly.

"He's better now. He's not such a bratty teenager, at least," he replied, smirking, "He actually asked me to teach him how to shoot a rifle last week."

"I'm surprised David hasn't taught him yet," she said bitterly, looking away.

Javi closed his eyes and sighed, crossing his arms, "Actually," he paused, and Clem looked back at him, "David died."

"What?" she exclaimed, standing up.

"Yeah, about a year ago," he explained, "He was leading a scouting group up north, and they ran into another smaller group. Unfortunately, they got the jump on him. They killed him and two others before our group could return fire," he choked on his words, frowning.

"Javi, I'm," Clem paused, searching for words, "I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how Gabe took it," she added.

"He wouldn't talk to anyone for weeks," he said, "After a while; it was like he'd changed. He was all about duty and doing what's right. Gabe clearly loved my brother, despite their differences."

"Hold on," interrupted Louis, speaking for the first time and turning to Clementine, "Is this the same Gabe you had feelings for?" he asked with a sly grin on his face.

Javi perked up and shared a look with Louis. They both looked at Clem expectantly, to which she rolled her eyes. "Keep talking like that and you'll also be some guy I had feelings for," she shot back, smirking when Louis's eyes widened.

"Feisty woman," commented Javi, earning a slap on the shoulder by Clementine.

"One of the many reasons I love her," Louis added, getting the same treatment.

"Alright, I think we should get going," Clem cut in, instructing AJ to get on the car. "We might make it to Florida in a week at this rate."

"Hold on, why don't you come with me?" Javi suggested.

"Come with you to Richmond?" Clem asked perplexed.

"Yeah," he said, smiling, "unless you guys have somewhere else to be, I'm sure we can prepare you a good meal."

Clem and Louis shared another look, considering the offer. As much as Clem wanted to keep going, she couldn't deny the opportunity to get some food in them before they starved. Louis nodded at her and she turned to Javi again.

"Okay, I think we can do that. Thanks."

With that, Javi and Louis got into the back of the car and Clementine drove on. They stayed quiet for a while, with only the purr of the engine to set the atmosphere. Speeding up, Clem saw the tree line to their right fly by, turning into a blur of green and orange. As they drove past a sign that read 'Richmond - 12 miles', Louis turned to Javi.

"So did you really walk fifteen miles up to this gas station for no reason?" he asked, amusement clear in his tone.

"Well, I had a car, but one of the tires gave out near that gas stop," he explained, "which is why I was looking for another ride."

"I see," Louis said, raising an eyebrow, "So how is this Richmond like?"

"It's a community I've been running for four years. We have high walls and grow our own crops and cattle. Though last winter killed almost all of our cows and chickens," he added, pursing his lips.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Louis said truthfully, though the thought of actual food made his mouth water. They'd been living off scavenged supplies for a month now, and the new diet was killing him, he would say.

"We managed," Javi assured the boy. The older man raised an eyebrow and lowered his tone as he leaning in, "So, you and Clem, huh?"

"Yeah," Louis answered warily, though a smile crept on his face.

"How long?" Javi asked, intrigued.

"About a year now," Louis informed him. He looked forward to the rearview mirror and spotted her. They shared a smile and Louis turned to Javi and whispered, "I love her."

"Ah, young love," Javi said out loud, making the boy blush.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the gates of Richmond, which stood tall over them. A shout came from atop, requesting they get out of the car. They heard the same man order them to lower their weapons. As they did, Javi walked forward and raised his hands.

"It's okay, they're with me," he shouted back, waving his arms.

"Oh it's you, boss," one of men replied, lowering his rifle. "Open the gates!" he ordered a woman at the base of the wall.

The metal structure lifted upwards, letting them through. Clementine parked the car near the entrance at Javi's request, and they walked the rest of the way. Louis and AJ looked around in awe, examining the surroundings. The city was vibrant with life. Small groups of kids ran around playing tag, people of all ages sat on benches scattered around the parks, talking about something or other. It looked like the apocalypse had skipped this place, Louis thought.

They got to a building decorated with a large banner with a red letter R. Javi told them to wait outside and went in himself. Clementine then turned to Louis and AJ, who were still looking around.

"So, how do you like Richmond?"

"It's amazing!" exclaimed AJ, his eyes darting from one point to the other, never quite focusing on one.

"It is pretty impressive," Louis conceded, his hands on his hips. "You think they might let us stay?" he asked his girlfriend, who shrugged.

"Not sure, really," she admitted, sighing. "But Javi's a good man; he'll at least give us a chance."

Louis nodded and stepped forward, stretching his arms. Clementine took the hint and leaned into him, resting her head in the crook of his neck and wrapping her arms around his waist. This was something they had started doing a while ago. They could sense when the other was tired, and they would offer each other comfort.

Clem relished these moments in which she could feel like a normal teenager with normal problems, instead of a hardened survivor with a young charge looking up to her. Sometimes, it got to be too much for her, and she would force herself to stay up all night listing the reasons she kept going. Most of them included AJ or Louis in some way, of course.

Before her mind could wander too far, the front door of the building opened and Javi stood before them. They broke apart slowly and looked at him, "You can come in now," he informed them, eyeing their hands; they were still connected, he noted.

They followed Javi in, craning their necks as they looked around. Clementine recognized it as the cathedral they had used as a main building. The banners of the New Frontier had been pulled down, and the pews had been moved to make room for tables and chairs scattered around the main room. Before Clem could take four steps, she was almost knocked out of her feet by Gabe embracing her in a hug.

"Clem!" he exclaimed, clinging to her as if for dear life. Louis eyed them with a raised eyebrow and crossed his arms. "I'm so glad you're back," Gabe said. When the dreaded boy cleared his throat, they broke apart.

"Who's this?" Gabe asked warily, eyeing Louis up and down. Instead of scowling like he wanted to, Louis flashed a massive grin at the shorter boy and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Hi, I'm Louis," he said with enthusiasm, "I'm Clem's boyfriend."

"Oh," Gabe let out a breath, looking at Clem and then back at Louis. "Nice to meet you," he said, shaking his hand.

"Likewise," Louis replied, smirking.

"And who's this little guy?" Gabe crouched to AJ's level, who eyed him suspiciously.

"I'm AJ," he said simply.

Frowning, Gabe came back up and beckoned the group to follow them to a side room, where a table was being set by Javi. They sat down on one side of the table, while Javi and Gabe took the other two chairs. In front of each of them was a bowl of vegetable soup with chunks of meat strewn over it. Clem, Louis and AJ dug straight in, jealously devouring the first hot meal they'd had in a while.

"I take it you guys haven't had it so good," Gabe commented, his eyes never leaving Louis.

"You could say that," Clem replied when she finished her bowl, "We had a bigger group…" she trailed off, frowning.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Javi offered, nodding at Louis.

"Soup's amazing, by the way," Louis piped in, smiling despite the topic at hand. "We haven't had a hot meal in over five months."

"You're welcome to stay with us for as long as you need if you want, you know?" Javi informed them. The three of them perked up and gaped at Javi. Even Gabe seemed surprised at his uncle's offer, and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you sure?" Clem asked him warily. It was too good to be true, she thought.

"Of course. I know you can handle yourself," he told her, gesturing to his shoulder. He was pointing to the injury she'd help stitch four years ago, Clem realized. "And if you vouch for Louis and AJ here, it's good enough for me."

"And me," Gabe added hastily, nodding vigorously.

Clementine, to say the least, was speechless. After all the hardships they'd endured the past year alone, a place to call home did seem like a good idea. Before she could answer, Louis clapped his hands together and said, "Could you give us a moment to discuss this in private?"

Taken aback by the request, Javi pointed at a side door and Clem and Louis went through it. When they were alone, Clem rounded on her boyfriend and put her hands on her hips. "What was that about, Lou?"

"I just don't know about this, Clem," he admitted, "We should think about this before accepting."

"What's there to think about?" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "They have walls, food, clean beds and Javi knows me. Give me one good reason not to take this deal, at least for the time being."

"I don't trust them," he said simply, crossing his arms over his chest.

Clem stared at him for a moment before smiling, "Ah I see what this is," she teased, leaning against the door behind her.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not that you don't trust them. You don't trust Gabe," she explained.

"What? Why – why do you say that?" Louis stuttered, flustered.

"You're jealous." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Jealous? Me?" exclaimed Louis, his eyes widening. "I'm not jealous of Gabe," he claimed, though his blushed cheeks told another tale.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," she promised, planting a soft kiss on his lips and winking at him. "By the way, you're so cute when you get all flustered," she told him, smiling. With a smirk she turned around and walked through the door. Louis was left speechless on the spot, staring at her back. She really was one of a kind, he thought with a smile.


End file.
